Defense flexing its muscleThe Texans are converting turnovers into points thanks to a new, agressive approach that puts more pressure on opposing quarterbacks

Published 6:30 am, Friday, December 5, 2008

The Texans defense, led by Mario Williams, has been forcing fumbles and getting interceptions to help win the turnover battle.

The Texans defense, led by Mario Williams, has been forcing fumbles and getting interceptions to help win the turnover battle.

Photo: James Nielsen, Houston Chronicle

Texans defense flexing muscle, forcing turnovers

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Statistics can lie, but one rarely does. Turnovers. Force them and you’ll probably win. Commit too many and you’re practically guaranteed to lose.

That didn’t prove true when the Texans stumbled past Miami, and they also finished in the minus column the afternoon they held off Detroit. But in their three most convincing victories — over Cincinnati (35-6), Cleveland (16-6) and Jacksonville (30-17) — they were an impressive plus-eight with six interceptions and five fumble recoveries to negate the effect of three Sage Rosenfels interceptions.

The Texans’ re-energized defense made the Browns cough up the football five times and the Jaguars three, with two of those takeaways coming in the first quarter after Rosenfels seemingly had left the Texans in an early lurch with another pick. Taking a 10-0 lead out of the first quarter, they coasted to victory in their Monday Night Football debut.

Why the sudden turnover turnaround?

“Pressure up front and being more aggressive,” cornerback Dunta Robinson said. “We have to be able to get to the quarterback.”

They got to the oft-sacked David Garrard, all right. End Mario Williams, making a strong bid for a first Pro Bowl appearance, dumped Garrard three times by his lonesome.

“You have that kind of pressure,” secondary coach Jon Hoke said, “and you get (the quarterback to throw) some bad balls. Mario’s presence has been huge, and we’ve gotten ourselves in position to make plays. The one thing about turnovers is, they’re contagious. They kind of come in bunches.”

Caught with a short week of preparation for the trip to frigid Green Bay this weekend, the Texans coaches are understandably reluctant to own up to the defense’s newfound fangs being the byproduct of any kind of major strategic or philosophical paradigm shift.

“I think it’s just football,” Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. “You just keep battling. I think we are being more aggressive (because) we’re all rallying to the ball. And we’ve had a few breaks.

“You need some breaks in this business, and we haven’t had many. So maybe we’re catching up.”

Welcome back, Dunta

The Texans’ cause has been abetted by the return of Robinson to the starting lineup. Badly injured last season, Robinson missed 12 games and didn’t start until the Texans went to Cleveland. Although he didn’t distinguish himself against the Browns or the Jaguars, he clearly gave his teammates a lift. Special players do that.

“He brings a lot of energy, and people have a lot of confidence in what he does,” Hoke said. “He’s a very good competitor. He demands a lot of himself, and he demands a lot of everyone else.”

Although Robinson isn’t 100 percent, offenses still respect him enough to look elsewhere for cracks in the coverages, which makes it easier for the Texans to anticipate what’s coming. Left corner Jacques Reeves, who has interceptions in each of the last two games, has prospered finally being on the field with Robinson, saying, “As soon as he was in the starting lineup, there was a different energy. He’s the spark plug, our leader.”

Robinson’s presence makes it possible, Hoke said, “to dial up the pressure (up front) a little” with less risk of getting burned. And success begets confidence. Things start to snowball — in the right direction.

“You get in a (better) mindset,” defensive coordinator Richard Smith said. “We do the same stuff, but we’ve started finding a way to make things happen. We’ve made some great plays, especially in Cleveland.”

Just keep plugging

The Browns remain among the league leaders in turnover ratio at plus-six despite their meltdown against Houston. Green Bay is up there, too, at plus-four.

The Packers’ recent slump — four losses in five games — has been much more a function of defensive breakdowns than offensive shortcomings.

So the Texans can’t assume their turnover surge will continue. And Robinson isn’t yet prepared to say the Texans are over the hump. He talks about “having a chance to turn this thing around. Nothing is given. Nothing is automatic. But, hopefully, we can finish this thing 9-7.”